Zuurberg Fires
www.MyAddo.co.za: Two bouts of fire in August and September have burnt vast tracts of the Zuurberg Mountain range in the Park. The fires burnt some 26 000 hectares of fynbos and grassland on the Zuurberg Mountains. Fire is a natural occurrence in both fynbos and grassland ecosystems and is vital for the proper functioning of these systems.
The first fire, started by unknown causes on a property bordering the Park, burnt from the 10th until the 15th of August, spreading into the Nyathi and Zuurberg sections of the Park.
Rangers battled the blaze for days assisted by Cacadu District fire teams and Working on Fire teams battled the blaze. Extremely dry conditions and strong winds hampered their efforts and the fires were fanned by frequent changes in wind direction.
None of the Park’s tourist or staff accommodation or infrastructure was affected, although visitors were evacuated from Narina Bush Camp on one occasion as a precaution. The Zuurberg Mountain Village, which is a private business located on the borders of the Park has sustained considerable damage, losing 31 chalets to the fire.
The second fire of significance started on Sunday 14 September and burnt until Tuesday 23 September. It was started by lightning and burnt grassland and fynbos in the Zuurberg Mountains from Zuurberg section to Kabouga and almost over to the Darlington side.
Most of the efforts of Park rangers were focused on assisting farmers on the borders of the Park to prevent the fire spreading onto their land. Again, none of the Park infrastructure or accommodation facilities were affected.
Smaller animals such as tortoises, snakes and rodents were probably most affected by the fire. Larger animals such as eland, kudu, red hartebeest and bushbuck are usually able to escape to the forest in the mountain valleys. Forest does not burn very easily so provides some sanctuary to wildlife in times of fire.
Since these fires, the vegetation on the mountain has been slowly regenerating. Fire lilies (Cyrtanthus species) have bloomed in bright reds and grass has sent up new shoots.
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